Best CPA Exam Cram Courses and Final Review Guides

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Finding the best CPA exam cram course isn’t as easy as it sounds. There are a ton of different CPA review courses out there that offer different last-minute crash course review materials. How are you supposed to know which one you should go with?

First, you should look at your learning style and what study materials you already used to get you to this point. Remember, a cram course isn’t designed to prepare you for the CPA exam by itself. It’s simply designed as a last minute study plan so you can brush up on all of the important exam question topics that you need to remember before your exam day.

For instance, a course focusing on the REG section of the CPA exam would include important tax facts, dates, rates, and percentages that you need to remember off the top of your head for the exam. It’s not going to go into detail about how these numbers are applied. They assume you already know it and just need to review the material and cram as many facts into your head as possible before the exam.

That being said, a CPA cram course is an extremely helpful self-study tool. It could mean the difference between remembering and forgetting a key fact that shows up on the exam multiple times. It might just be me, but it seems like the one thing you forget or don’t have time to study always shows up on the exam.

Let’s take a look at your choices for the bestCPA exam cram course on the market today!

Quick Links to CPA Cram Courses and Final Reviews

2020’s Top 4 Best CPA Exam Final Review and Cram Courses Below:

Roger CPA Cram Course

Roger CPA Review has been making a cram course for several years now. It’s probably the best stand-alone CPA prep course out there right now because it’s specifically designed to be a separate CPA exam prep course. It’s not simply a trimmed down version of the real Roger CPA review course.

As such, it includes special focused lectures presented by Roger that are only 10-25 minutes long. This way you can fly through the lectures and get to the multiple-choice questions quickly. All the MCQs features detailed explanations and solutions. The course also comes with a full set of CPA cram textbooks.

The course is offered in either an online format that can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection or on a Flash drive that you can take anywhere without being online. Although it was previously available as a standalone purchase, these excellent cram courses have now been added to their Elite-Unlimited package in a recent update.

Yaeger CPA Cram Course

The Yaeger CPA review cram course is designed to be a final review after you finish going through their course. It’s been proven to be so effective that they advertise candidates who use the cram course increase their overall score by 5 to 15 points. That’s pretty crazy! In other words, this set of CPA study materials could mean the difference between you passing and failing.

The Yaeger CPA cram course is completely separate from their main CPA exam study course. It includes focused video lectures presented by the Yaeger instructors that cover the key concepts and must know details that you have to have memorized going into the exam. The course format is run through the MyYaeger online portal which gives you access to it 24 hours a day.

Unfortunately, this study planner does not come with printed textbooks, but it does come with a full set of digital textbooks. It can be purchased for individual exam sections or the full set. Also, Yaeger gives you a full 6 months access to your materials before they expire.

Wiley CPAexcel Cram Course

Unfortunately, Wiley CPAexcel doesn’t really have a true cram course. Instead, this course provider offers a set of focus notes that can be used for a final review, but they aren’t a true course in and of themselves.

Although this is a much cheaper alternative than the full-length Roger and Yaeger crash courses, it doesn’t include as many features. For example, there are no video or audio lectures, task-based simulations, or test bank of multiple choice practice questions included with the Wiley CPAexcel focus notes.

The study notes are more like a huge set of flashcards that help you memorize facts, equations, and key concepts with mnemonics and other memorization strategies. They are great for memorizing things, but they aren’t really a full course.

Becker CPA Cram Course

Do You Need a CPA Review Cram Course to Pass the Exam?

The short answer is no. No, you don’t need a final review to pass the exam. Tons of people pass every single year without using a final crash course, but they don’t hurt.

Essentially, if you really study your regular test prep course thoroughly and at your own pace, you should be fine. Most people don’t do this though, so a cram course would come in handy.

Recommendation

Unless you are really, really good at studying and diligent with your main study materials, I would recommend getting a last-minute cram course. It’s worth the investment. I would much rather pay a few hundred dollars for a cram course and pass the exam rather than fail the exam and pay a few hundred dollars in extra exam fees. Plus, who wants to study for the exam again? Not me.

That being said, both Roger CPA and Yaeger CPA are great courses. I think it comes down to lecture style and preference. If you enjoy the upbeat, motivational Roger lectures, go with Roger. If, on the other hand, you find his lectures too fast and unwatchable, you should go with Yaeger.

If you don’t want to spend the money for either of these courses and just want a cheap alternative, check out the Wiley CPA Focus Notes.

Kenneth W. Boyd is a former Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and the author of several of the popular "For Dummies" books published by John Wiley & Sons including 'CPA Exam for Dummies' and 'Cost Accounting for Dummies'.

Ken has gained a wealth of business experience through his previous employment as a CPA, Auditor, Tax Preparer and College Professor. Today, Ken continues to use those finely tuned skills to educate students as a professional writer and teacher.